What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
by Darkknight37
Summary: Terry McGinnis spends Christmas Eve learning a lot about the softer side of his mentor...well, somewhat.


I've been doing this for too long.

Well, technically I've only been at it for maybe six years, but it seems like forever. When I first ran into Bruce Wayne on that night the Jokerz chased me all over Gotham, I thought that it would just end in me cracking a few of those dregs' heads before getting my own tail handed to me. But not everyone turns that situation into becoming the second man ever to be called the Batman.

But seriously, I'm in my twenties now. Shouldn't I be going to Gotham U and getting a physiology degree or something?

"McGinnis, pay attention!"

"Right…"

Speaking of someone being at it for so long, Wonder Woman clearly takes the cake on that one. Bruce had to quit at some point, but the heavies in the Justice League like Diana, Superman and J'onn have been at this trade for a while…and still at the top of their game! I even wonder why I have to be in full uniform in the training facility with her. It's not like I spend my time tackling the freaks she's used to.

"Now come at me again without me taking you down in less then five moves."

"Ok…" I sigh as I ready myself. "Let's go Princess."

I wonder if charging at her while yelling like Tarzan would be an insult to her warrior…karma, or whatever. I find out as that bent look on her face snaps into a rage, which leaves me wondering how she didn't naturally develop heat vision at this very moment. I cartwheel out of the way of a haymaker that would have sent Supes to the infirmary. A strong wind behind her follows the force of her punch, which makes me focus…just a bit more. This suit amplifies my strength ten times, but that's still maybe only a fifth of what this lady can put out. So I take my chances by trying a quick sweep to the back of her legs, with surprising results. Sadly though, Diana's better than that. She back-flips into a standing position like she's trying to win a gold medal or something. Luckily my keen detective skills deduced that she could and would do that, which explains the straight kick coming right for her head.

Yeah, right.

She basically slaps my foot out of the way and plants her size ten into my chest, sending me across the room and bouncing me off the wall. And what the heck is up with the heels on those boots?

"Slow, McGinnis", she says while stalking me as I stand back up, slightly clutching my chest. "It shows you started your training at an older age. You have tremendous talent, but you're not being fluid. You lack the natural instinct to fully utilize all of your skill."

"Too old to be a Jedi, am I?" I say under my breath, and wondering if my right lung is collapsed.

"Joke all you want, but I am trying my best to help you", she says, both comforting and scolding at the same time. "Hopefully you haven't reached your limits with your abilities yet, McGinnis."

I stop clutching at my chest with a slight smile on my face.

"That's 'Batman' to you."

I lunge at her neck with my arms, whipping myself around to her back. Bruce showed me how to utilize the suit's shock defenses in an offensive manner when going hand-to-hand against an enemy with meta-level strength. I shock her pressure points on her neck and under her arm, which I hope are there since she basically is walking Play-Doh. She freezes for a moment and I put my right arm around her throat while securing her left arm with my left arm. With my last trick, I trip her to fall backwards with me and I wrap my legs around her waist, then I start the squeezing.

"Mc…What are you…"

Oh yeah, I've got her.

"All you gotta do is tap, D", I say in all my glory. "Then it'll be all over."

I've seen this move win King Colossal the Gods of Wrestling Heavyweight Championship before, so maybe I…oh slag it.

I feel her start lift off of the ground, taking me with her. She then whips us both back into the ground, with me taking the brunt of the force that I KNOW shook the Watchtower. Whatever advantage I had is all but lost. She took off my submission hold like I take off pajamas, which is very disheartening for this wrestling fan. She's standing over me now; ready to give my ears the same amount pain my back is now feeling. On the positive side, I think my lung is back in place.

"Admit it…" I barely start, as I'm sprawled out like a starfish. "I had you..."

"You never had me, McGinnis", she says while reaching down for my throat.

She lifts me up by the fabric of the suit and places me on my feet. She's roughly my height, maybe taller, which is kinda intimidating. But the ears got her beat.

"If you were a super-strength baddie with no flight, you would've been down for the count", I say slightly twisting for my back to pop.

"I wasn't", she says now putting her face really close to mine. "And it's not 'Batman' until you've earned that from me."

She walks past me in a huff that that I think only guys can hear. I've heard Dana use it a lot at the times I had to ditch her when Gotham needed saving, or whatever. I know it's the same here, because Diana's gone by the time I twist my back enough for it to pop.

"You two done now?"

I forget sometimes that he can see and hear everything I do.

"Yeah, we're finished here", I say into the cowl. "She's been back in the League for two years and she's been a pain in the back since I met her."

"Don't you mean 'pain in the neck'?" Bruce says.

"Didn't you watch our little session?" I say. "Anyway, at least Barda's been off my case. I'd quit and go look for a holiday job if I had to dodge those two on a regular basis."

"Well, whenever you're done, J'onn has you scheduled to come back to Gotham with a team", he says.

"Great", I say while I stretch my back some more. "Whatever gets me away from this place for awhile. What's the situation?"

* * *

I spoke too soon.

I was sent down with Diana, Barda and Zeta to douse a riot that started in Gotham Square. It's Christmas Eve and people were going a little too far with picking out spots for New Years Eve. Barbara Gordon had a GCPD riot team in place, but the Jokerz got involved with heavy firearms and pinned down Gordon's team before they could even get into position. We were able to take them out fairly easily and even managed to calm the rioters. I don't even know how we managed that, but you try to stop the Smash Sisters with just rioters.

I'm sitting on the ground of one of the snowy rooftops with my cowl off. The snow is still coming down and it's pretty cold. The heat coils in the suit keep me warm, but my face needed a breather from the mask. Below, GCPD are rounding up the Jokerz and some of the rioters. Our response team went back to the Metrotower in Metropolis, and probably there by now, but I have to stay back in Gotham. It hurts to breathe after I took a straight shot from one of the Jokerz to my chest with a shotgun. The suit stops the bullets, but the force still hurts like crazy. Add that to the soreness from sparring with Diana, and I'm looking forward to waiting for Santa in a therapy pool.

"Why are you up here, McGinnis?"

I look up to my right and see Diana looking down at me. It has to be only twenty degrees right now, how is she still wearing her swimsuit armor?

"I'm watching out for Gordon's team", I say with a strain on my voice. "When they're gone, I'll call it a night."

I wait for her to tell me to get up and treat my wounds. I almost expect her to pick me up again and tell me to fight through my pain. So I'm surprised when she kneels down next to me on the ground and sits.

"How are you feeling?" she asks me.

"I've been better", I say trying to sit up a little against the warm, brick chimney of the apartment building.

"I'm really sorry about earlier", she says as she leans up against it too. "I let my emotions get the best of me."

"I see", I say while popping a painkiller from my belt.

She knows I'm sore at her, and I can honestly tell she's sorry, so I let up a bit.

"How's it feel being back in the League?" I ask her.

She looks at me with an eyebrow raised.

"I've been back for two years, Terry", she says.

"Well you've been away for almost fifty years", I say. "I would think getting back on the saddle would take some time getting used to. Plus I never got a chance to ask you before."

She puts her head back against the chimney as the snow continues to fall. She sighs as she folds her legs in with her arms.

"It's been a long time", she says.

We sit in silence for a moment, and I still can't figure out what the heck she's doing up here with me.

"Where did you go after…you know, after '09?" I reluctantly ask.

"Themiscyra", she says. "I returned home right after we managed to stop Ares. It was too hard to face everyone in the league then, or the allies I gained in politics. I was branded a traitor."

My high school history books sure thought she was.

"Did anyone try to get you to come back?"

"Warhawk's mother tried harder than anyone", she says. "She was in a similar situation a few years before. She even stayed on the island herself for a while with me. She had a lot of issues she still needed to deal with."

"Yeah, I read a lot of the reports", I say. "Judging by all that happened back then, I'm glad I'm SECOND person to wear this costume."

It wasn't hard to notice that struck a nerve with her. She sits in a longer silence, and then I decide to be a little more serious.

"Diana", I start. "What is your problem with me? Ever since you walked back into the league, you've had it out for me."

She sighs again, and then stands up. She walks to the ledge of the roof and leans against it. Again, how in the heck is she not freezing?

"Again, I'm sorry", she starts while looking over the ledge. "After everything happened, I left with unresolved issues with Bruce. I'd be lying if I said I'm very fond of that suit you're wearing now."

I start to stand up myself. The pain shooting through my body screams of broken ribs. I set the suit to tighten around the torso to take some of the pressure off.

"He's not the easiest person to get a long with", I say. "But what did he do to make it so hard for you to…"

She turns around and gives me another look. Oh man, I know that one.

"Oh…" I say.

She turns back around and continues to talk.

"I haven't spoken to him personably since before the incident with Tim", she says. "Everyone in the League tried their best to reach out to him, but something died in Bruce after that. Then when 2009 came, he got worse. He started taking the steroid compound Venom when Ares made his bid for Earth. I heard it took him two years of seclusion in the cave to detox himself."

"Two years, three months and fourteen days", I say. "He came to when Alfred Pennyworth fell ill."

"Alfred…" she says turning her head to me with a smile. "That man qualifies for saint hood for putting up with Bruce all those years."

"I think I do now", I say walking next to her and looking over.

She smiles at me and looks over the ledge again.

"You remind me of Nightwing", she says. "You two are so alike it frightens me."

"I never met him", I say. "I met Tim and Barbara, but he managed to drop off the grid."

"Barbara", she says. "I didn't know her as well, but I can tell Bruce frustrated her just as much as he did anyone else."

"Still does", I say.

She slightly laughs at that as she turns to me.

"I read everything on you, Terry", she says. "It was very brave of you to watch over a city by yourself for so long."

Ah, the painkillers are setting in.

"I wasn't alone", I said putting the cowl back on. "I was walked through almost every situation."

She stares at the mask and raises an eyebrow again.

"I hate knowing that he wore that mask in the end", she says. "Hiding that jaw line is a crime."

Oh?

"I like it", I say with a smirk. "In the cold, no one can see my lips turn blue."

She smiles again as I step onto the ledge.

"I have to patrol for a little bit before I turn in", I say.

She steps up next to me, looking directly at me. Man, she is taller than me.

"I should get going myself", she says. "I have a lot on my mind."

"Well then", I say as I slowly fall forward. "Merry Christmas, Wonderful."

* * *

I rush home when I don't get a response from Bruce. The car gets me back to the cave in seven minutes from downtown, which is where I spent my Christmas night. The painkillers wore off an hour ago, right before I took out a group of spliced Jokerz. My ribs hate my guts and they're close enough to do something about it.

I land the car onto the platform in the cave and jump out of it immediately. The computer is running from where Bruce was coordinating my patrol, but he's nowhere near it.

"Bruce?" I say walking towards the computer.

Then I see Ace sleeping soundly on his pillow on the floor. If something happened to Bruce, Ace wouldn't be catching his Z's right now. I think Bruce trusts him more than he does me.

Oh well, at least I'm home now.

It takes me a minute to change out of the suit. I put on my sweat pants without a shirt so I can just go jump in the shower up in the manor. Ace is awake now, probably ready to go upstairs to his real bed, too.

"Come on", I say. "We'll get some grub before bed."

He barks at me and wags his tail. I sometimes think this dog is smarter than I am.

I walk up the stairs and to the opening into the manor. The grandfather clock slides open and I see a reflection of…candlelight on the wall?

"Uh…hello?"

I hear something coming from the den. It's music, Christmas music I think. Ace scampers off to the kitchen waiting for me to get his food, but this is way to creepy not to check out first. I walk towards the den, and the reflection of candlelight can be seen on the wall opposite the opening into the den. The music is faint, but I think it's 'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve' that's playing.

Then, I hear something I've NEVER heard before.

Bruce...laughing?

No, it can't be.

I tip-toe closer to the entrance into the den, and I see Bruce sitting on his chair sipping out of a tea cup. He has his normal clothes on, so nothing out of the ordinary there. But the fireplace is lit too, so it wasn't candlelight coming out of here.

I hear a second voice now, but a female's. Behind the lamp, all I see is thick, dark hair and steam coming from the opposite side, probably from a similar tea cup.

Yeah, I know its Diana, but I can't register why Bruce hasn't thrown her out, or hasn't sicced Ace on her, or…oh forget it. This man is about as readable as brail on sandpaper. I don't bother walking away quietly as I hear another laugh come from in there. I'm half-curious as to what Diana said to get him to even consider a scene like that in the den. The other half is curious about what Bruce said to her the first three times he refused to.

But I'm more interested in some holiday ham.

They seem to have gotten something good for Christmas, now all I want is some food, a bath and some sleep.


End file.
